The present invention relates to machinery for planing flat surfaces comprised of, for example, concrete or asphalt. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved drum and cutter assembly for such planing apparatus.
Planes utilized in connection with concrete or asphalt surfaces are generally known and are typically used during a resurfacing operation, removing paint and/or removing excess concrete/asphalt to provide a desired finished surface state. Such apparatus is generally comprised of an engine driven drum and cutter assembly located at the front of a wheeled carriage which is guided by an operator. The drum and cutter assembly is oriented transversely across the carriage and horizontal to the surface to be planed. The cutter subassembly which is mounted on the drum is comprised of sets of circular multi-toothed cutting elements and annular spacers which are mounted on a plurality of cutter shafts which rotate about the central axis through the assembly. The cutting elements and annular spacers are manually assembled piece by piece on each shaft in a predetermined configuration depending upon the task at hand or when repair is required. An inherent limitation exists inasmuch as it is a time consuming operation when the cutting elements and spacers must be individually placed on the respective shafts each time a change is required in the planing configuration. This is unnecessarily tedious and inefficient, particularly when working at a job site. A typical example of the known type of planing machine is shown and disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,156,231, issued Nov. 10, 1964, which is, moreover, assigned to the assignee of this invention.